GEOFF BENNETT: The FBI announced today an arrest# in its nearly five-year investigation into who## placed pipe bombs near the Republican and# Democratic national party headquarters in## Washington, D.C., on the eve of the January 6# Capitol attack back in 2021.

A 30-year-old man,## Brian Cole Jr., was arrested and charged today.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino spoke# at a press conference this afternoon.

DAN BONGINO, Deputy FBI Director: Folks, this# is what it's like when you work for a president## who tells you to go get the bad guys and# stop focusing on other extraneous things## not related to law enforcement.

You're# not going to walk into our capital city,## put down two explosive devices,# and walk off in the sunset.

Not## going to happen.

We were going to track# this person to the end of the earth.

GEOFF BENNETT: Joining us with more details# is the reporter who broke the story,## Carol Leonnig.

She is senior investigative# reporter for MS NOW and co-author of "Injustice:## How Politics and Fear Vanquished# America's Justice Department."

Carol, thanks for making time for us.

CAROL LEONNIG, MS NOW: Glad to be here, Geoff.

GEOFF BENNETT: So, based on your reporting, why# has this case been so .. CAROL LEONNIG: Geoff, this case has# been one of the highest-profile and## the most data-intense and enormous# of all the FBI investigations that## I have been covering and, honestly, of# several generations in the FBI history.

It's really been an intense case.

And the# breakthrough here was not based on new evidence## or a new tip, but was based on a re-review,# essentially, of evidence that was already in## FBI storehouses as a result of subpoenas that# were issued far and wide in 2021 and 2022.

It's really striking that, as our sources told us,# this suspect could have been arrested years ago## if these dots had been connected.

You will# remember that the FBI had three million## different data lines in this investigation.# They focused especially on phone records first## to figure out how many people were around# the Capitol and around the DNC and the RNC## when these bombs were planted January 5, the# night before the certification of the election.

And then the FBI subpoenaed almost every# large hardware store and box retailer## looking for people who had purchased# some of the components that would be## used in this kind of explosive.

And then they# looked at also subpoenas of the records for## all sorts of sneaker retailers to find# anyone who purchased a particular kind## of Nike shoe that they could tell the# suspect had worn based on surveillance.

And, anyway, a re-review of that# information led them to Brian Cole,## a 30-year-old man living with his# parents in Woodbridge, Virginia.

GEOFF BENNETT: Is there any evidence# that these pipe bombs were planted as a## diversion from the January 6 Capitol attack?

CAROL LEONNIG: There's nothing in the criminal## complaint that the Justice Department filed# in making their charges against Mr.

Cole to## indicate what his motives were, to indicate that# he had a plan to try to pull police away from the## Capitol at the same time that pro-Trump# supporters were essentially breaching## and marching up to the Capitol and breaking# the glass and getting inside the building.

GEOFF BENNETT: Carol Leonnig, senior# investigative reporter for MS NOW.

Carol, thank you for sharing# your reporting with us.

CAROL LEONNIG: Thank you, Geoff.